Ya know, I’ve heard enough from Aaron Rodgers. The Pack should just trade him and move on. And, while we’re at it, can we all just toughen up a little bit?
If you’re like me, you’re already tired of this. On the first day of the NFL draft, it’s reported that Rodgers wants out. It now appears that he may not have planted that story after all, but for weeks he said nothing to refute it. Then, the other day, he gives an interview in which he talks about “the people”. Thanks, Aaron. The people need to be reminded of their importance by a $33 million a year populist.
Anybody else had enough of the coy act? I wish Rodgers would just come out and say what he means. He doesn’t like General Manager Brian Gutekunst. Maybe Guteknust doesn’t coddle him enough, maybe he doesn’t consult with him enough, maybe he trades away players Rodgers likes. Whatever the heck it is, Rodgers should just come out and say it.
Whatever they do, the Packers should not part with Gutekunst to placate Rodgers. That’s the tail wagging the dog. And frankly, as a fan, I won’t enjoy watching a player, even one as good as Rodgers, who I know doesn’t want to be where he is and who has such a gentle ego.
Here’s a human quality that is in short supply these days: stoicism. We live in an Oprah world, where everyone feels it’s their right to pour out their feelings. Worse, we’re told that we should always trust those feelings, instead of questioning whether they are supported by facts and reason. It’s not just over-sharing; it’s over-valuing emotion and degrading thought.
And, in Rodgers case, not even pour out their feelings in a forthright fashion, but talk around the issues for maximum dramatic effect. When a guy’s getting paid as much Rodgers is to do a job, he should just do the damn job, thank the fans for paying him, and otherwise shut the heck up.
What Rodgers should have done was gone straight to Gutekunst, out of the public eye, stated his problem honestly and let his boss respond. If they couldn’t work it out man to man, then Gutekunst should have agreed to find Rodgers another employer.
You’d think that a guy who can stare down a charging 300 pound lineman could just deal with a boss who isn’t quite attentive enough to his feelings. And if there’s anything in all this that is relevant to how those of us who don’t make $33 million a year live, it’s that. We live in a society that doesn’t value sucking it up, working things out, and not indulging every real or perceived slight.
There’s a lot to be said for saying nothing.
Yellow Stripes & Dead Armadillos 